Before the (Possible) End
by JustAnObsessedFangirl
Summary: It's almost the day the Great Prophecy foretold, and Percy doesn't wanna waste any more chances.


Annabeth found Percy in the hallway of one of the floors they occupied in the Plaza Hotel, staring at a clock mounted on the wall. She walked to his side, it was 11:56 am.

"You know, as fascinating as clocks are, I think sleep would be better for you," she said, hopefully lighthearted.

Percy smirked at her in reply, finally tearing his eyes away from the clock.

"Of course you'd find clocks interesting."

"Well, they really are," she countered, " but I still think sleep would be better for the both of us."

He sighed. "Because dreams are especially great for us, huh?"

His light tone had turned more dark, almost cynical.

"Especially these days," he grumbled, turning his eyes back to the clock. "Look at the time."

Annabeth looked, "It's 11:56," she said, unsure of its significance, "So?"  
Percy looked almost dazed, delirious even. Probably a combination of the stress of the war and lack of sleep. Sleep had to be especially important to him, with the curse of Achilles and all.

"It's four minutes until August 18th."  
Annabeth looked down. Of course. Four minutes until the prophecy was going to be true. Olympus will either rise or fall, and it will be all down to Percy. Everything might be gone tomorrow, or maybe just Percy. But to Annabeth, they were almost the same thing.

She tried to go for light hearted again.

"Well someone's excited for their birthday," she said with a smile, but she couldn't even convince herself that it wasn't uneasy. But Percy at least looked genuinely grateful for her attempt at trying to keep things mellow, and not feel the actual reality that they might die at any moment. His eyes had become softer, but barely so. Now instead of just hardened, he also looked how tired he actually was.

"Yeah," he said, almost offhandedly. "Just counting down to when Olympus could possibly fall, and it'll all be on me."

Sarcasm again, but he didn't want to rub her the wrong way. But Annabeth was understanding.

She touched his shoulder, trying for reassurance.

"Hey, don't be like that. It could still stay standing, and I'd say we have at least a 50/50 chance of that happening."

She winced at what she had just said. Annabeth Chase always had a plan, always tried to be the best strategist, but right now, she thinks she'd be better off comforting him with a baseball bat to his gut. It's better than just stringing words she'd hoped would fit well together.

Percy turned fully towards her.

"Annabeth," he stopped himself, then proceeded to go forward with what he was going to say. "There's more than a 50/50 chance that I'll die tomorrow."

"No," Annabeth continued to deny, even though the prophecy seemed pretty clear, "no, Percy, don't say that."

He was starting to become frustrated.

"Annabeth, listen to the prophecy, 'The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap, A single choice shall end his days..." He trailed off, he didn't need to finish it.

She scoured for different reasons.

"Percy, we shouldn't interpret the prophecy before the events have already started. And you and I both know that it doesn't always happen the way we both think it would."

She thought about the prophecy the Oracle had given her last year before her quest into the labyrinth. 'To lose a love to worse than death.' If she had told anybody the last line before the quest, they would have automatically assumed it was Percy. Well, anybody except Percy. And Annabeth felt resigned to assume it too. She had already admitted her crush to herself, though she kind of hated herself for it. But love? Love is such a strong emotion. And she was so young. Even then, nothing good had happened with her and the people she loved. Her father had gone and had a family with a woman who was more than content with ignoring her. Thalia had died and turned into a tree. And Luke, well, she did lose him to a fate worse than death.

She didn't want to lose Percy. And if she admitted to herself that she loved him, she had the underlying, and probably irrational fear that she'd lose him too. And the Oracle then had only just proven that she's doomed to lose someone she loves, another one. And it would come true whether she admitted it or not. Mount Saint Helens happened. Nobody could survive a volcanic eruption. Percy said he had a plan, but she seriously doubted that. 'This is it' she thought then. 'I'm gonna lose you, too.' Dying in an explosion would be a horrible way to die. That was probably what the Oracle meant by "worse than death".

She brought her mind back to the present, which is the more probable time that she would actually lose him.

"Annabeth," he started again, but stopped as if to look for the right words.

"I know, but-" he stopped again. "The chance is way too likely."

Annabeth wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't find any words that could comfort him. But Percy stopped her.

"But I don't want to waste any more chances I have now."

He looked scared waiting for her reply, but Annabeth was still confused about what he was saying. Chances at what?

She was just about to ask him when he leaned his head forward and caught her lips with his.

Annabeth felt time slow down. There was no war, no fighting, no reason to worry. Just her and Percy and this moment of peace.

He finally stops the kiss after what felt like an eternity, but still felt all too short. Percy leans his forehead against hers and holds her chin, running his thumb over Annabeth's cheek. Annabeth looks down at her own hands, softly gripping the hem of Percy's shirt as she takes in slow steady breaths. She doesn't know what to do next, but she is more than content to stay like this with him, holding each other and swaying to some unheard song. She tries to sneak a glance at Percy's face. His eyes are still closed but he doesn't hold anymore of the hardness or tiredness he had before.

Annabeth was thinking about how one of them would have to say something eventually when the a loud ring was heard. They turned their heads from each other to stare at the source of the sound. It was the clock. It had just struck 12 o'clock.

Annabeth turned back to Percy and gave him a shrug.

"Happy birthday," she offered half-heartedly.

Instead of another depressing or sarcastic comment, he replied with a small smile.

"Appreciate it."

She let out a small laugh. It was nice, continuing to have moments during this war that were lighthearted.

"Annabeth," Percy scratched at the back of his neck and kept his eyes down.

"You know I'm not that great with words, but-", he kept gesturing with his hands, still unsure of what to say, but Annabeth knows Percy, knows him more than anyone else and apparently knows more about him than she thought she did.

"It's all right", Annabeth said. "I know and", she swallowed, "the feeling is mutual."

She imagines the expression on her face is much like the one Percy's has now: the same look of relief with a similar shy grin.

"Well, at least that's out of the way."

Annabeth smirked. "Stay alive after tomorrow, and see where it goes from there."

And with that, Annabeth turned around and walked towards the hotel room.

"Good night," Percy called after her.

She turned back and took note of the adoring look in his eyes. An adoring look directed towards her, she mused.

"Good night."


End file.
